So, we’re ready to read. But don’t read the book yet. There are a few steps to take first.

FIRST: ELIMINATE ALL DISTRACTIONS: Get rid of ANYthing your mind could think about besides the reading material. Is there conversation? Activity? TV? An uncomfortable seat? Music in the background? (OK OK, I know many of my readers are college students who claim they “study better” with music in the background. Go ahead and claim it — but you are wrong. You might “like it” better, but you do not study better. ANYthing which might occupy your mind waters down your concentration — even occupying your “mind-in-background.” Fool yourself if you wish — but if you really are serious about reading faster, eliminate distractions.

SECOND: Ask: What is my purpose? Why are you reading this? And what kind of literature is it? Is it a classic or fiction work you are reading for fun? Then, why hurry through it at all? Like a
leisurely meal, sit back and taste each bite — turn over the delicious phrases in your mind. Or is collateral reading for a course where you are must be familiar with the central notions? Then finding the notions is why you are reading, right? Or maybe you are reading collateral where you will be tested on the content? Or maybe collateral reading where you will be required to say, “I read every single word?” Or is this a book where you will be tested on the terms and dates therein? Or, maybe you are just reading the book searching for some new ideas for your own situation. Or you have to write a review. Or maybe you plan to teach it to others. See how different your purpose might be for
each? Before you open the book, take a minute to state your purpose to yourself. It will largely determine how you read the book from then on.

THIRD: Do a 10 minute PRE-READ. Take ten minutes or less and pre-read the entire book. Go ahead and try this if you’ve never done it before. Treat a book like a jigsaw puzzle. Dump it out, then organize all the pieces first before putting it together. Read the dust cover and any cover reviews. Then look through the author blurb. Move to the Table of Contents and see if you can figure out the whole book from this page. Page through the entire book, page by page and glance through all summaries, tables, pull-out quotes, diagrams(especially), and scan through all the section titles and you go.

Chances are you’ll find the KEY CHAPTER while you are doing this. Some publishers say (off the record, of course) “A book is simply one great chapter with a dozen other filler chapters.” If this is so, find that chapter.

FOURTH: Read the KEY CHAPTER. Start using the rapid reading techniques mentioned later to read this KEY CHAPTER through. You are not obligated to wait until you have read all the chapters
before this one, as if you must eat your green beans before the ice cream. The book is yours — go ahead and get the central idea before you start!

Once you’ve read the key chapter you are ready to read the rest. In order from the front to the back, or in some other order which better suits your purpose.